Terrible Dreams
by razzzledazzzle
Summary: The crew of Serenity experiences nightmares that just won't go away. Post BDM.
1. Zoe

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Points finger at Joss Whedon.

Chapter 1: Zoe

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She was floating through an endless sea of black with small pinpoints of frozen bright white scattered about. Of course, she was breathing, but that didn't seem to matter. Nothing mattered. Except to float, just float right on through space.

Someone held her hand tightly but she had forgotten who. Gradually, as if someone pushed her away, she turned. And stared in wide-eyed amazement. He looked straight back at her, smiling. Yes, it was the same light blonde/red hair, the same twinkling blue eyes. And the very same laughing grin that filled her heart with love. A silent tear rolled down her face as she smiled back.

Her heart swelled with happiness.

Everything was perfect.

Yet perfect couldn't last.

For just as she felt like nothing in the world could bring her down, his hand slipped from hers.

And she saw the giant spike come slowly closer and closer. She saw its blade slice through his fragile body, pushing and pushing. Stealing his precious life away bit by bit. All she could do was watch as her heart broke and the pieces disappeared into the black universe. But she didn't want to watch, she didn't want to deal with the excruciating pain. No, no, _no!_

Her scream filled the darkness, shattering the shadows.

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Zoe awoke in a cold sweat with sheets tangled around her body. Her heart thumped in her chest and her muscles tensed from subconscious fear. _It was just a dream,_ she told herself, _just a dream._ But she could feel the damp skin on her cheeks where tears had fallen.

"When will these nightmares go away?" Zoe whispered into the darkness. Of course, she knew there would be no answer. There never was.

Sighing, she dragged herself out of bed, wrapping a bathrobe around her muscular frame. She crept through Serenity in silence, making her way to the mess hall. Zoe was surprised to see River already there, pouring two cups of tea.

"Why are you-?" she tried to ask.

"You need help. Feeling pain…," River spoke as she furrowed her brows, obviously reading her feelings. She handed Zoe a cup of tea and sat down at the table. "Time will soothe the pain. Memories keep us together."

Zoe smiled for the first time in a very long while, and sat down at the table to enjoy the tea and knowledge she was not alone.


	2. Jayne

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Points finger at Joss Whedon.

Chapter 2: Jayne

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_Run away, Jayne. Run away and never look back._

Those words echoed in his mind as he ran to the cargo bay, leaping over the fallen bodies of the crew. The dead bodies, he realized while shuddering. He had no idea who attacked them all. All he heard was the screams and the loud bangs which woke him from his deep slumber. Jayne reached out for his guns, but they were all gone. Every last one of them including Vera.

Not knowing what else to do, he quietly crept out of his bunk. He saw Mal on the bridge, lying on the ground bleeding and gasping for breath. Mal looked straight at Jayne and told him to run. And then the gorram person shot Mal, ending his life. It was all he needed to get the hell outta there.

Only problem was, they were in the black.

A bullet whizzed past Jayne's ear and a not at all manly squeak emitted from his lips. He jumped over the side of the gangway in the cargo bay and landed with a thunk on the ground. Frantically, he looked around for a weapon, anything. But there was nothing, not even a scrap of metal lying around.

_Clunk, clunk._

Jayne knew that sound, it was the sound of boots. Commando boots.

"River?" he whispered as he looked up to where he stood moments earlier.

"Jayne is a girl's name," she said pointing a gun at his chest.

Pointing Vera at his chest.

His Vera, his beloved gun.

_I knew we should have gotten rid of that gorram crazy girl from the beginning,_ he thought.

He looked into her eyes but all he could see was black, dark and cold as night. River pulled the trigger and with a loud bang the night within her eyes took away his life.

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Jayne quickly sat up in the dark room of his bunk. He put a hand to his chest but didn't feel any bullet holes or wounds. _It was just a gorram nightmare_, he thought as his tense body slowly relaxed.

A sudden thought flashed through his mind. Jayne pulled back the blanket that hid his guns and sighed with relief. They were all there, including his precious Vera. He took her off the wall and held her close. "I won't ever let anyone take you away," he whispered to Vera, his voice filled with love. Jayne laid back down on his bed, snuggling Vera close to his body.

_Never again will I eat Simon's cooking before going to bed, _he promised himself before falling back into a deep sleep, his snores echoing throughout the ship.


	3. Inara

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Points finger at Joss Whedon

Chapter 3: Inara

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Giant trees loomed over the narrow path twisting its way through the thick vegetation. A slight breeze rustled the leaves overhead, creating a sound like the pitter patter of a thousand small feet. Light was barely visible through the canopy of the trees, casting an eery twilight glow.

Inara traveled along the dirt path. She lost the track of the time, the hours and hours she had been walking. A nagging voice in the back of her head told her to keep on going. So she did.

A root appeared out of nowhere sending Inara falling flat on her face with a loud OOF. She stood back up, brushing herself off. Puzzled she looked around. _Something is wrong, something is not right_. She quickly realized that the scenery had changed. The trees were black as night without a leaf anywhere in sight. Limbs reached out to grab her in their thorny embrace. The breeze changed to a howling wind. No, wait, that noise was wolves.

Panic seized Inara as she quickly ran along the path, stumbling blindly ahead. She could hear the wolves behind her, snarling. Sweat trickled down her face as fear settled in her heart.

Just when she thought they were surely upon her, Inara saw the end of the path ahead. Bursting through to the end of the forest, she paused and listened. And she heard nothing, absolutely nothing. Relief washed over her as she curiously stepped forward.

In the center of the clearing, a pond stood perfectly still, not a single ripple crossed its glassy blue surface. Cautiously she peered in, and looked at her reflection. Inara leaned closer and lightly touched her watery image. Ripples traveled away from her fingertips and her reflection changed to most horrific sight she had ever seen.

A reaver's bloody torn up face.

She gasped in surprised shock and jumped slightly. Before she could regain her balance, Inara fell straight into the water. And kept falling down, down, down. She struggled, trying to swim to the surface. An invisible force pushed her down, forcing her to drown. Her lungs screamed in pain from the effort to hold her breath.

_I can't do it._

_I can't make it._

She let go of her breath and everything went black.

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Inara awoke with fear still fresh on her mind. Glancing around, she realized she was safe. It as all just a dream.

"Please let the crew sleep well and be rid of these terrible nightmares," she prayed to the darkness.

"Please."


End file.
